John Godber dominated the theatre in the 1980s with his working-class comedies combining knockabout hilarity with believable pathos.
His trademark was a small ensemble of actors who delivered many of their lines direct the audience while rapidly switching between characters.
Up ‘n’ Under and Bouncers were the most famous and most funny, but others like Teechers had their moments.
This production of Teechers, three decades after its premiere, is probably the best I’ve ever seen.
Kevin Moore directed a flawless cast – playing a couple of dozen roles between them – with imagination and energy.
The concept was that three teenagers from a comprehensive school drama class presented an end-of-term play to us, their fellow students, portraying a new drama teacher’s experiences in his first year.
Against a backdrop of typical 80s educational hopelessness we witnessed the teacher’s descent from bright eyes and bushy tail to frustration, anger and disillusionment.
Andy Bean brought depth to his main two parts, Salty the young actor and Nixon the drama teacher.
And facing the challenge of ever-changing roles, Beth Welch and Kathryn Tonks were stunning as they created a succession of pin-sharp characterisations of students and teachers.
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